Sugar Creek Arts Academy

SCAA Families,

What a wonderful start to the school year! It has been so much fun watching our SCAA Stars settle into their classrooms, reconnect with friends, and jump into learning and creating.

As we move into September, our focus continues to be on building strong relationships, establishing routines, and creating classrooms where every student feels safe, supported, and excited to learn. I am already seeing so many examples of our students showing kindness, taking responsibility, always trying, reaching for excellence, and shining through creativity!

Thank you, families, for the support, encouragement, and trust you give us each day. We are so excited about what is ahead this year and grateful that you are part of our SCAA family.

Here’s to a great September and another month of learning, creating, and shining together!

Dr. Summerford

Welcome back! I'm excited to share some updates about our upcoming guidance lessons and our available school based counseling services for the upcoming year.

This September, my guidance lessons will focus on emotions and coping skills. Throughout all of my lessons, I'll be embedding "Zones of Regulation" material to help students develop self-awareness and emotional regulation strategies. We're also introducing and incorporating "Zones of Regulation" into our classrooms, and we're thrilled about implementing this framework across our school community.

I also want to remind everyone that if you're interested in volunteering at SCAA, volunteer training is required and must be completed yearly. This applies whether you're helping within the building, classroom parties, field trips, stuffing Tuesday folders, or supporting PTO functions. Please visit our website to view available training dates and times. There has been an update for October's Volunteer Training date. It will take place at the October 21st PTO meeting at 9am. It was originally scheduled for October 14th.

Finally, I'm pleased to share an update on our school-based counseling services. We will continue offering school based counseling services through Arisa Health. If you're interested in learning more about school-based counseling services, please reach out to Lori McGinnis.

Does your child take piano lessons?

Join the Sugar Creek Arts Academy Piano Association today!

Student pianists are invited to eat lunch every Monday with Mr. Timbrel. Monthly recitals will be held beginning in October. Our first meeting will be Monday, September 14th

Please use this link to sign-up:

SCAA Piano Association Sign-Up

Our first Book Fair is coming soon! The fall book fair will take place Sept. 14 - 18 and coincide with Grandparents Day lunches. Each grade level will get a different day to invite their grandparents to eat and shop with them.

Monday (Sept. 14)- 4th

Tuesday (Sept. 15) - 3rd

Wednesday (Sept. 16)- 2nd

Thursday (Sept. 17)- 1st

Friday (Sept. 18) - Kindergarten

This month in the library students will get to shop the book fair. Use this link to add money to your child’s eWallet. Students will also begin learning about letter writing and get the opportunity to send letters through our Sugar Creek Post Office.

Ms. Edwards and Mrs. Phillips

It is great to be back at The Creek! We have had a strong start to the school year. We have started by talking about classroom procedures and learning about the difference between a growth mindset and fixed mindset and why it is important to have a growth mindset. We started in the last week of August learning about the continents and oceans and in September we will learn about maps and navigation and where we are on the Earth. We will also be discussing the different types of landforms and then diving into North America.

Mrs. Horton

It has been a great start to the year at Sugar Creek! I have enjoyed getting to know all of our students and families, whether they have been at SCAA for years or new like me!

We are still learning some new procedures and going over the rules to make sure we stay safe and have fun in PE. September means football season. With that, we will work on several locomotor and nonlocomotor skills with a focus on throwing and catching.

We will have a week or two of small group stations to work on these skills, before moving into whole class games and activities, using the skills we worked on in those stations.

Coach Mac.

Welcome back!! It is so wonderful to see all the smiling faces back in the music room!! We will be celebrating the Star Spangled Banner’s birthday in September with all students by learning the meaning and history of our National Anthem along with singing and learning the words. All of the classes will be learning and reviewing the Sugar Creek School Song and Rap! Sugar Creek students will also be exposed to the Preamble to the Constitution to celebrate Constitution Day!

Kindergarten and 1st Grade: These classes will be learning and reviewing the 4 different voices, learning more about ‘steady beat’ and celebrating Fall with songs and movement activities. We will also learn some Apple chants and songs.

2nd Grade: We will be reviewing the quarter note, quarter rest and beamed 8th notes to be able to read and clap rhythms. Students will learn what the term ‘steady beat’ means and how strong and weak beats are used in music. They will be doing some apple songs and activities as well.

3rd and 4th grade: These students will be reviewing notes names/values and how to read and clap rhythms. We will be learning a line dance and doing apple activities with songs and chants.

Mrs. Doss

Kinder and first grade parents please be looking in your child's Tuesday folder for their Artsonia slip. This will be a way for you to look at the art they make in class before they are allowed to bring it home.

2nd - 4th grade parents you will only get a slip if permission for Artsonia has not already been granted.

Please reach out to Mr. Snider if you have any Artsonia Questions.

We make a lot of amazing artworks in the art room and I do my best to hold onto those projects during the year so that your child will have art that can be displayed at the art shows at the end of the year.

All art will be sent home at the end of the year.

During September all grade levels will be working on a combination of Jasper Johns and Dot day (September 15th) inspired projects.

We will also be making:

K - ROYGBIV inspired abstract paintings

1 - Ted Harrison inspired Arkansas landscapes

2 - Art projects using symmetry

3 - Finish our Contour Line T-Rex tries and Start Jenn Ayrani Inspired Landscapes

4 - Yayoi Kusama inspired Clay Flower Sculptures, and begin still life drawing and shading like Georgia Okeefe

Mr. Snider

Welcome back Sugar Creek Stars! I am so happy to see all of your smiling faces again. I hope that you had a great summer and I am looking forward to another year of learning with you!

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade: We are focusing on learning about the parts of the computer and how to use technology safely and responsibly. We are learning to name each part of the computer, how to carry and charge it safely, and learning how to balance our screen time with other activities.

3rd - 4th Grade: We are focusing on learning the parts of the computer, what they do, and how to use different digital tools to create, communicate, and work with others so that we can show others what we are learning. We are learning how to use digital tools, such as Google Docs, to complete tasks and to create projects as well as learning how to edit, organize, and save our digital work.

Mrs. Weigang

Arts Integration

Leaping Lizards! What an amazing start to our school year! As the arts integrated school, our teachers were VERY busy over the summer learning and creating. We had a team of teachers attend the National Conference for Arts Integration and Steam. Not only did we attend some fantastic workshops, we had coaching sessions to guide us on our journey to become a certified school for arts integration.

A second team of teachers attended the AWE (Arts Within Education) institute hosted by the Walton Arts Center through The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Our team had a deep dive with teaching artists working on movement/dance and tableau.

We are planning for International Dot Day, Rock Your School, and Annie, Kids!

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness! Great things await our students!

Mr. Timbrel

Math:

The PTO is off to a fantastic start! We kicked off our first meeting in August with a packed house and lots of excitement for the year ahead. Dr. Summerford shared updates on staff, testing, and car lines, while Mr. Timbrel gave us a sneak peek at exciting arts integration events and productions happening throughout the school year.

Our new PTO President, Courtney Dodd, also walked us through important PTO dates and upcoming events, including the Fall BBQ, Read-A-Thon Fundraiser, Cookie Extravaganza, Spirit Nights, Art Night, and more! There’s a lot to look forward to this school year, so be sure to download a copy of the PTO calendar from the SCAA PTO website and stay in the loop!

The PTO Board is also looking to add a couple of awesome volunteers to our team this year. We currently have openings for Co-Treasurer and Communications Manager, Elect. Interested in getting more involved? We’d love to have you join us!

Please email ptosugarcreekelementary@gmail.com or visit our Website https://www.sugarcreekptobentonville.com/interest-form for more information.

Save the Date

• September 16 // PTO Meeting

• September 17 // Fall BBQ

• September 25 - October 9 // Read-A-Thon Fundraiser

Stay Connected

• Facebook: Sugar Creek Arts Academy PTO

• Instagram: @SugarCreekArtsAcademyPTO

• Website: www.sugarcreekptobentonville.com